Pumping t protector



Dec. 22, 1942. R. w. MOORMAN PUMPING TEE PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 11, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l Ian INVENTOR 603: I4! Momma/z B ATTORNEY Dec. 22, 1942.R, w, MQORMAN 2,306,075

PUMPING TEE PROTECTOR Filed 001;. 11, 1940 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTQRI /za W Moor nan,

ATTORN'EY Patented Dec. 22, 1942 UNETE D STATES PATENT OF FICE.2,306,075

PUMPING-T PROTECTOR Ray W. Moorman, Oklahoma; City, Okla. ApplicationOctober 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,763

6 Claims.

This invention relates to protectors and more particularly to protectorsfor pumping T' that are normally arranged on the head of tubing, in anoil well, for example, that is pumped by sucker rods; the principalobjects of the invention being to provide a convenient, economical andefficient protector for such pumping Ts.

Other object of the invention are to protect threads inpumping Ts, forexample, from the abrasion of sucker rods, for example, incident tomovement of the sucker rods through the Ts; to prolong the life ofpumping Ts' by means of the present protector; to so arrange theprotector as to form a support for sucker rod elevators while theelevators are supporting the sucker rods in tubing below the T and whilejoints are applied to or removed from a sucker rod string; to so arrangethe protector as to provide for moving any objecttherethrough thatcan'beusedinside a pipe proportionate in size to the-pumping T protector; toprovide for efficiently latching the protector to a pumping T in such amanner that special tools are not necessary in the installation thereof;to provide against slipping or change in position of the pumping Tprotector: relative to the tubing head; to facilitate straight andeificient setting of sucker rod elevators relative to sucker rodspassing through the protector to effectively combine an. outer clamp andan' inner guide relative to apumping T; and. to provide lmprovedelements and arrangements thereof in a pumping T protector of thecharacter and for the purposes noted.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pumping T protector embodying thepresent invention in applied condition relative to a pumping T.

Fig; 2 is a side elevational view of a. well head with. my improvedpumping- T protector applied thereto, sucker rod elevators being. shown.in dotted lines applied to a sucker rod and supported by the protector.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical transverse section through a well head andmyimproved pumping T protector, particularly illustrating the relationof the elements thereof to each other.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of my pumping T protector, the same being shown inclosed operative condition.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the well head and pumping Tprotector shown in Fi 1 to 4 inclusive. the inner guide. of theprotector being shown; applied. to: the; pumping T and the outerclamping member being shown indisassembled spaced. relation. to theinner. guide.

Fig; 6 is. a. detaili'perspective View of my improved pumping. Tprotector, the parts thereof being, shown in spaced disassembledinoperative relation.

Referring. more; in detail. to the drawings;

II designates: the head: of a. well, for; example an oil or gas well;that is; provided with tubing: 2 througlrwhich. fluids; may be pumpedfrom the well. The. pumping T 3 is, mounted on the upper extremity ofthe tubing; preferably by the provision of mating: threads: 4? and; 5'on the: outer and inner surfaces of the: tubing and T respectively and.at. the; lower flanged end 6 of the T. A laterally flanged. preferablyinternally threaded branch. T of: the. T is. usually provided withafitting 8 for. drawing off. fluids that are removed from. the wellby apump,. not shown, normally arranged in the tubing; at the lowerextremity of a. string of sucker rods, 9 that passes through thepumping;T..

The. upper: end: of the pumping T is. usually internally threaded, asat: Ill, and, when; the sucker rods. 9 are applied to or removed fromthe tubing 2' through: the pumping T 3, anabrading action'onthe threadsH1 is encountered which ordinarily renders: the. threads: and the Tinoperative forany desired purpose. In overcoming this difliculty, theupper: end ll of the pumping T is preferably provided with arr annulargroove l2 that cooperates with the upper annular edge 13 of the T informing an annular flange M at the upper'end of the T.

An inner: guide member, generally designated l5; Figs. 6', is employedfor, among other things, covering the pumping T threads l0;this'covering protective function being accomplished by the provisionofsubstantially duplicate semi-cylindrical' sections 1.6 and [1; thatpreferably consist of mating half. shells. having skirt portions of alength. sufii-ci'ent to cover the threads. The skirt. portions of theinner guide. member depend from the exteriorly annularlyflangedapproximately mid-portions of the guide half sections, such flangeportions being designated l8 and [9 respectively. The flanges arepreferably of a width or thickness sufiicient to form shoulders 20 ontheir lower faces that seat upon the upper edge of. the flanged. end Mof the pumping, T to support. the inner guide in covering. relation tothe threads of' the T. A. composite annular groove 2] is provided in theinner guide half sections immediately above the upper face of theflanges l8 and I9. Above the annular groove 2|, the inner guide halfsections preferably flare outwardly as at 22 and 23 to form a guidingreceptacle or socket for facilitating application of sucker rods to theinterior of the guide member that is formed when the guide member halfsections are brought together, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The guidemember half sections are preferably hinged relative to each other as byproviding spaced ears 24 and 25 on one of the half sections and an ear26 on the other half section which latter ear is capable of arrange-,ment between the spaced ears, the ears 24 to 26 having alignedapertures. A suitable fastening device 21 is passed through theapertures for hinging the inner guide forming half sections relative toeach other. I

The flared ends 22 and 23 of the inner guide forming half sections forma seat for elevators, generally designated 28 and shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2, the elevators seating on the guide member in such a mannerthat the elevators, when arranged as shown, are always straight and insuitable condition for engaging a sucker rod coupling element 29 wherebysucker rods may be removed from or applied to the tubing through thepumping T.

With the construction thus far described, it is apparent that a guidemember has been provided a that is capable of directing sucker rods andthe like through tubing or pipe while at the same time protectingthreads on a connection at the upper end of the tubing or pipe. In orderto secure the guide member and thread protector to the pumping T in sucha manner that it will serve its intended purpose until such time as itis desired to remove the same from the T, a clamping device 30 isprovided, the preferred details of which are clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The clamping device 30 preferably includes a pair of half ring sections3| and 32. The respective sections are each preferably provided with aninternal groove 33 and 34 which, when the sections are brought together,form an annular recess of a height sufiicient to. receive the flange l4of the pumping T and the combined flanges l8, IS on the inner guidemember IS. The flanges 35 and 36 formed by the grooves at the lower endsof the ring sections seat in the annular groove l2 in the pumping T andthe flanges 31 and 38 at the upper inner ends of the ring sections seatin the groove 2| on the outer face of the inner guide member above theguide member flanges I8, I 9.

In order to facilitate application of and removal of the clamping device30 relative to the inner guide member and pumping T, one of the clampingdevice ring sections is provided with spaced aligned ears 39 and 40, andthe other ring section is provided with an ear 4| that is engageablebetween ears 39 and 4D, the ears 39 to 4| being provided with alignableapertures in which a. suitable fastening device 42 is positioned forpivotally connecting the ring sections and providing for their beingbrought together in surrounding relation to the inner guide member andpumping T.

It is also desirable to positively fix the clamping device in innerguide and pumping T connecting relation and to this end the section 3|of the clamping device is provided with a laterally extending boss 43adjacent one end thereof which boss is provided with a recess 44 in theouter face 45 thereof. The ring section 32 is provided with acorresponding boss 46 in which a vertically arranged opening is providedfor passing a fastening device 41 that is arranged in aligned openingsof arms 48 and 49 of a latch 50. With this construction, the latch 50 ispivotally mounted on the boss 46 of the ring section 32 and when thering sections are pivoted into adjacent relation, the head 5| of thelatch passes over the outer face of the boss 43 in such a manner as tolatch the ring sections in closed clamping condition. A set screw 52 ispreferably provided in the head 5| of the latch, the inner end of theset screw being engageable in the recess 44 of the boss 43 in such amanner as to positively lock the ring sections in clamping condition.

' The inner guide member l5 and the outer clampingmember 30 may be andpreferably are interconnected in such a manner as to maintain theunitary character of the protector as a whole. This interconnection ispreferably accomplished by a provision of a chain 53 or the like, oneend of which may be mounted as at 54 on the ear 26 of the inner guidehalf section l1 and the other end of which chain may be mounted as at 55on the ear 4| of the ring section 32.

The operation of the pumping T protector constructed as described is asfollows:

Assuming a well to be provided With a head, tubing, a pumping T on thetubing and sucker rods for actuating a pump to remove fluids from thewell through the lateral outlet 78 of the pumping T, the pumping Tprotector embodying this invention is applied to the pumpin T prior toapplication of the ucker rods to the tubing.

This is accomplished by hinging the inner guide half'sections from theopen inoperative condition shown in Fig. 6 to the closed operativecondition shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. The closed inner guide membermay be manually applied to the upper internally threaded end of thepumping T, the depending skirts of the guide covering the threads of thepumping T and protecting the same. The-shoulders on the bottom faces ofthe flanges of the guide form a seat for the guide on the pumping T andthe flared outer ends of the guide sections facilitate application ofsucker rods to the T as well as'form a support for the sucker rodelevators.

The clamping device 30 is then adjusted from the condition shown in Fig.6 to the closed operative condition as shown in Fig. 4 about the pumpingT and the inner guide and protector therefor, the lower flanges of thering sections of the clamping device seating in the groove I2 of thepumping T and the upper flanges thereof seating in the groove 2| of theinner guide member; or, in other words, the flange |4' of the T and theflanges |8-|9 of the guide are received in the groove 33 -34 of theclamping member.

The latch is then pivoted from the condition shown in Figs. 5 and 6 tothe condition shown in Figs. 1v and 4 to overlie the boss 43 on the ringsection 3|, whereupon the set screw is run down into the recess 44 ofthe boss 43 to positively fix the clamping device relative to thepumping T and inner guide member.

The sucker rods may then be applied to or removed from the well tubingthrough the pumping T, damage to the pumping T and threads thereinmeanwhile being obviated.

Due to the relative thinness of the depending skirt portions of theinner guide member pumps, fishing tools and other objects intended to beWhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A protector for a threaded pumping T comprising a guide memberengageable with the T in supported thread covering relation thereto, aclamping member engageable with the T and guide member in supportedconnecting relation thereto, and flexible means connecting said guideand clamping members together in and out of supported relation to thepumping T.

2. A protector of the character described including an inner guidemember comprising hinged sections arranged to completely cover threadsat one end of a threaded pumping T, an outer clamping member comprisinghinged sections engageable about the T and guide member respectively forinterconnecting the same, and means for selectively holding said guideand clamping member sections in closed hinged condition collectively.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pumpingT having a flange and a groove arranged exteriorly thereof and threadsarranged interiorly thereof, a guide member having a skirt at the lowerportion thereof engageable over said threads in covering relationthereto and having arflange seating on a portion of said pumping T forsupporting the guide relative to the pumping T, and a clamping devicehaving a fiange'e 'igageable in the groove of the pumping T and having agroove for receiving the flanges of the pumping T and guide forinterconnecting the same.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pumpingT having threads, a guide member comprising hinged sections having askirt portion extending over said threads and adapted to be spacedtherefrom in covering relation thereto, said guide member having ashoulder for seating on a portion of said pumping T for supporting theguide relative to the pumping T, a clamping device engageable with thepumping T and guide for interconnecting the same, said clamping deviceholding said guide member in closed condition and the skirt spaced fromthe threads, and a latch for positively interconnecting said clampingdevice with said guide member and pumping T.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pumpingT having threads, a guide member having a skirt engageable over saidthreads in covering relation thereto and seating on a portion of saidpumping T for supporting the guide relative to the pumping T, a clampingdevice engageable with the pumping T and guide for interconnecting thesame, a latch for positively interconnecting said clamping device withsaid guide member and pumping T, and flexible means interconnecting saidguide member and clamping device.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pumpingT having a flange and a groove arranged exteriorly thereof and threadsarranged interiorly thereof, a guide member comprising hinged sectionshaving skirt portions extending over said threads and adapted to bespaced therefrom in covering relation thereto and having a flangeseating on a portion of said pumping T for supporting the guide relativeto the pumping T, a clamping device having a flange engageable in thegroove of the pumping T and having a groove in receiving the flanges ofthe pumping T and guide for interconnecting the same, said clampingdevice holding said guide member in closed condition and the skirtportion spaced from the threads, and flexible means connecting the guideand clamping members together in and out of supported relation to thepumping T.

RAY W. MOORMAN.

